Yet you will be hard-pressed to find anyone who has outshined Leuer on the floor in training camp. The 6-10 power forward, and man of few words, easily has been among the most assertive and productive players for new head coach Dave Joerger.

The question from Griz fans was "Who is this guy?" when the Griz acquired Leuer from Cleveland last season in a trade for Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a future first-round draft pick.

When Leuer connected on a step-back, midrange jump shot over Dallas All-Star Dirk Nowitzki in the Grizzlies' last exhibition game it was Nowitzki flashing a puzzled look toward his bench.

Who is this guy?

Leuer happens to be the player making a strong impression on the Griz with his consistent effort and productivity.

"He's done a nice job," Joerger said. "Jon will win when the bigs play one-on-one (in practice). He's hard to guard. I want him to be more selfish. What he's been bringing has been very positive. The system is built pretty well for Jon, too. Jon plays at the elbow pretty well."

Leuer, 24, has the Griz intrigued by his size and skills. He's a versatile and deceivingly athletic power forward whose hustle on the boards and efficient offense in limited minutes are the kind of productivity a coach loves.

Leuer's first field goal Monday against Dallas was an elbow jump shot. He then hit a running bank shot en route to making his first three attempts. Even when Leuer committed a turnover by mishandling the ball, he recovered on defense by stepping into a passing lane to grab a steal, leading to an uncontested score.

"I'm just trying to make the right plays and feel comfortable in our offense," Leuer said. "At my size I have pretty good skills, and quickness that presents matchup problems."

Leuer's output in the preseason is impressive given he's averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and two steals during the competitive portion of the past two games.

"He can play alongside guys and not need the ball," Conley said. "But when he has the ball he can make plays and shoot it. He does the little things. Hopefully, this will get him some time."

Leuer is as realistic as he is reliable. He doesn't figure to be a regular rotation player. Examining the landscape of the Grizzlies' power forward position, Zach Randolph will start. Time has been earmarked for Ed Davis to play the bulk of the backup minutes at power forward.

That won't leave a lot of time for Leuer, a former standout at the University of Wisconsin. But Leuer's versatility promises to always keep him in play. He can play across the front line at both forward positions and center.

"I'm ready whenever I'm called upon," Leuer said. "I know all of those spots offensively and I can hold my own defensively. We have a lot of good players. I just have to keep working and stay ready. That's the thing I've learned in my first couple of years is that you never know when you're going to be called upon. You always have to be focused."

There will be times when Leuer's basketball IQ could earn him a chance to help win a game. Against Dallas, Leuer stood by the foul line and delivered a nifty pass to Randolph in the post for an easy score. Reading defenses and making plays is paramount in the Grizzlies' new free-flowing offense.

"Jon can play," Randolph said. "He's been working and getting better. He can shoot the ball really well. He can stretch the floor. Plus, he's got a great ethic."

Leuer, a former guard who grew 10 inches from his freshman to senior season in high school, said he last played in a system that fits his game with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2011.

He was drafted in the second round that year and the Bucks traded him to Houston a year later. The Rockets immediately waived Leuer and Cleveland grabbed him off waivers.

His journey to Memphis has been paved by a bumpy road, but Leuer couldn't look smoother in a Griz uniform.

"I definitely have a lot of confidence and a lot of belief that I can help this team and contribute," Leuer said.